Getting read for Spring – starting seeds
Believe it or not, four to eight weeks can be cut from the time required between planting and harvesting if you grow your own seeds and transplant them into your garden.
A loose, fertile, disease-free soil mix is one of the keys to success. The famous John Innes number 2 is the idea for seed growing. John Innes number 2 is a recipe, not a brand, so you should look out for the recipe, bearing in mind that you don’t have to buy it from any particular manufacturer.
Any shallow wood, metal or plastic container at least three inches deep will serve as a suitable plant growing box. Milk cartons, foam cups, toilet roll middles, and egg cartons all make nice individual plant containers if you don’t want to buy pots or trays. Punch holes in the bottom of any carton, cup or pan to allow water to drain from the soil.
Sow your seeds in rows two inches apart in a box of soil, or individually in small containers. If seedlings touch, remove some and transplant to give them more room to grow. Regardless of the starting method, you must allow proper space for each plant to develop. Crowded seedlings become stretched, leggy and unhealthy.
Soil temperature is important. Cool soil retards germination. You can help your plants get a head start by placing containers in plastic bags or covering the soil surface with plastic film until the first seeds emerge. Then remove the plastic cover immediately and be sure the container gets maximum exposure to light. Most seeds do not require light to germinate, but seedlings need full exposure to light as soon as they emerge.
Seedlings photograph by DrStarbuck, used under a creative commons attribution licence
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